Press release -
Many illustrators nominated to the 2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
More illustrators than ever are nominated to the world's largest prize for children's and young adult literature. The nomination list for the 2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award consists of 175 candidates from 60 countries world-wide, in which a third are illustrators.
The 2011 recipient or recipients will be announced March 29th. The award honors literature in the broadest sense, the candidate or candidates are not required to have written a word to qualify as a nominee/s. Authors, illustrators, storytellers and promoters of reading can be awarded. The award rewards lifetime achievements of the highest artistic quality and in the spirit of Astrid Lindgren with a focus on a profound respect for democratic values and human rights.
The 2011 candidates are nominated by institutions and organisations world-wide. The list of nominees for 2011 contains 58 illustrators, and increase from last year’s figures of 42 candidates. Candidates are nominated as illustrators alone or in a combination of author / illustrator or promoters of reading. A complete list of candidates can be found at www.alma.se/en.
The recipient of 2010, the illustrator Kitty Crowther, has since the award ceremony participated in literature festivals and book fairs around the world. Her works have been published in new editions and translations in Germany, Spain, Japan, Portugal, China, Norway and Sweden among other countries.
So far, three illustrators have been awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award: Kitty Crowther (Belgium, 2010), Ryôji Arai (Japan 2005), and Maurice Sendak (USA, 2003).
Topics
- Library, Museum
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) is the world's largest prize for children's and young adult literature. The award, which amounts to SEK 5 million, is awarded annually to a single recipient or to several. Authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those active in reading promotion may be rewarded. The award is designed to promote interest in children's and young adult literature, and in children's rights, globally. An expert jury selects the winners from candidates nominated by institutions and organisations worldwide. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is administered by the Swedish Arts Council.
